Jan 2, 2008 6:50 am US/Eastern
Mass Pike Tunnel Inspections Raise Questions
Lawmakers Frustrated By Lack Of Answers
BOSTON (WBZ) ―
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Tunnels on the Mass Pike like the one that goes under the Prudential Center, are the official property of the buildings that sit on top of them.
WBZ
The Big Dig is officially finished, but that doesn't mean the problems on our roads are anywhere close to going away. It turns out that the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority is not responsible for maintaining some aging tunnels that you might drive under every day.
When you drive through a tunnel on the Mass Pike that goes under a private building, as many on the Pike do, the Turnpike Authority has no legal responsibility for its maintenance.
According to lease documents, tunnels like the ones under the Prudential Center, Copley Place, The Sheraton and Shaw's Supermarket in Newton, are the property of the businesses that sit on top of them.
According to a report in the Boston Globe, there is a lack of answers by those companies as to who inspected those tunnels - and when, which is proving frustrating for lawmakers.
The companies agreed to maintain the tunnels as part of their long-term leases and each tells the Globe they do take care of the tunnels. However some state legislators say the Turnpike Authority can't guarantee the private owners are keeping the tunnels in their best possible shape.
Starting this month, the Massachusetts Turnpike Authority is beginning a new policy with these private owners. It requires them to hire experienced structural engineers to inspect the ceilings of the tunnels and overhead systems once a year. The rest of the tunnel must be inspected every three years.
Under the new policy, state engineers will also inspect the tunnels at the owners' expense.
(© MMIX, CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved.)
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